Page 5 of Framed and Forgotten
I sighed in frustration, massaging my temples. “I should’ve questioned her intentions. All I can remember is waking up the next morning with her in my bed. I was furious. When I started screaming at her, she said she thought I would change my mind if we spent a night together. But when she realized that her plan backfired, she reassured me nothing had happened between us. She said she accidentally gave me too high a dose and I just passed out.” I grunted, acknowledging that I had allowed her to trick me yet again. “I shouldn’t have believed her.”
After a moment of silence, digesting the story, Avril spoke, “And when her pup called you daddy…”
I nodded, releasing a heavy sigh. “It all came rushing back. It hit me that she could’ve been lying. That we might have done more than just share the bed.”
Dead silence filled the room for a moment until she broke it, her voice frail and hesitant, barely a whisper. “Is it true then? Is Elias your son?”
There it was - the million dollar question.
Drained, I flopped down on the edge of the bed, placing my elbows on my knees and intertwining my fingers to let my forehead rest on my hands. “That’s what she’s claiming,” I revealed, my voice heavy. Even without looking at her, I could feel Avril freezing in front of me. In an attempt to soothe her, I added, “But I’d rather get a paternity test done than trust her word again.”
“How the fuck does she know it’s yours if she never did a DNA test?” Avril asked, her anger now directed at my ex-wife.
“I’m assuming she hadn’t slept with anyone else during that time.” I shrugged, finally lifting my face to glance at her. “But, like I said, she could be lying.”
“Doyouthink he’s yours?” she pressed, and I could hear her heart racing as she awaited my answer. I hated putting her through that.
“I don’t know,” I said sincerely. “It’s possible, but it’s highly unlikely. Nerine and I were together just one time, and I didn’t mark her, which makes it even less probable that I got her pregnant,” I observed, but rationality did little to soothe my worries. “I just…need to be sure I’m not the father. Only that’ll put my mind at ease.”
Avril drew closer, each step careful, uncertain. As she stood right in front of me, she asked, “What if the pup really is yours?”
The possibility terrified me, but I forced myself to appear calm, hoping it would ease her fears. With a slow, deliberate motion, I untangled my fingers and reached for hers. I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a long, firm kiss to the back of it before gently tugging, inviting her to sit beside me.
Grasping her head gently between my hands, I tried to ease both our worries “Let’s just wait for the results of the paternity test, okay?” I leaned in to kiss her forehead, searching for her eyes again as soon as I pulled away. “There’s a big chance I’m just overreacting.”
Although apparently still unsure, she nodded, accepting my idea. She crawled closer, resting her head on my shoulder as I brushed her hair with my fingers. We stayed there for a moment before going back to bed.
After sharing my worries with her, I was finally feeling lighter and able to rest a little.
4
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A V R I L
Morning came too soon.
I wish we could stay in that limbo for just a while longer. As Koen and I lay in our bed, tangled between the sheets, we lived in a world where we didn’t have to face reality. Where we could pretend there were no ghosts from the past, no consequences to address, no complications to solve.
But when our eyes blinked open, our gazes still hazy as they met, the silence was too suffocating to allow us to simply ignore reality. As the heaviness of the situation weighed on us, ever so crushing, it was impossible to stay in bed for another second. All I could think about was resolving this issue.
Even as I set off with Koen, determined to be by his side through this confusing moment, I couldn’t believe what was happening. When I tracked him to my office after hearing him leave the room the night before, I never expected this outcome. It was stressful enough wondering about his sudden change in behavior, but learning the truth was far more devastating.
The idea that my mate could be the father of his ex-wife’s pup made my stomach turn. Anxiety crept in every time I dared to consider exactly what that possibility meant. Between Koen turning into an Ashen Wolf and having the Council on our backs,we already had so much to figure out. Why did life keep throwing curve balls at us?
Destiny was such a funny thing. I thought I could outrun it, but the universe led me back to Koen. When he somehow became just like me, I convinced myself the stars were telling me that balance had been restored with the renewal of our bond. Yet now, I couldn’t help but wonder - had I misread the signs? Perhaps this was proof I should’ve never stopped running, or that I was doomed to be punished forever for daring to twist fate with my own hands.
In moments like these, I felt like nothing more than a puppet, played by the Goddess solely for her amusement.
For my own sake, I decided to do as Koen suggested and put my concerns aside until further notice. I managed not to think about the consequences as I helped him find a reputable laboratory to conduct the paternity test. Eager to put an end to this torment - for better or for worse - he didn’t hesitate to contact the institution and send them a DNA sample. Once the details were in order, Koen sent them to Nerine, who agreed to visit the laboratory as soon as possible.
By evening, there was nothing we could do but wait. As nerve-racking as it was to feel like it was out of our hands now, it was also somewhat pacifying. While reality was still turbulent, we could go back to pretending we were unaware of it for another week or so until the results were ready.
Koen’s expression said it all. For the first time since his encounter with Nerine, I saw the tension in him begin to ease as we padded through the forest on the outskirts of our haven. After everything, we sought solace in the one place where our troubles always seemed to dissolve into the quiet embrace of nature.
The trickling of the waterfall was especially soothing today. Instead of its usual roar, it sounded like a gentle murmur, itscascading waters whispering a promise of peace. Reclining on the grass by the edge of the pool, I watched the current rush downstream, letting it carry away all my uncertainty.
Still, I couldn’t help the question that broke through my lips as I absentmindedly observed the landscape. “What now?”
